VISITORS to a Dorset show will be able to experience the might and power of heavy haul traction engines while supporting a good cause.

The Great Dorset Steam Fair will once again be raising funds for local charities by offering steam-powered trailer rides around the heavy haulage arena.

Every year at the Great Dorset Steam Fair, which for 2016 takes place from August 25-29 at the Tarrant Hinton showground near Blandford, the trailer rides offer a unique opportunity to experience steam traction engines while raising money for worthy causes.

Last year, £15,297 was raised for Macmillan Cancer Support and The Alfie O’Neill Cerebral Palsy Treatment Fund. This year, organisers have chosen to support Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance and The Blandford Opportunity Group.

Since launching in 2000, Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance has flown more than 11,500 missions. The average cost per mission is approximately £2,500 and the crew can attend up to eight or nine incidents in a single day during the summer.They receive no direct funding and rely entirely on the generosity of the public for support.

Blandford Opportunity Group is a pre-school for children from birth to 5 years who have been identified as having additional needs. They take children from all over Dorset, mostly from Blandford and surrounding villages. Each child has one-to-one adult support to deliver programmes of therapy. It costs around £54,000 a year to run the group, but only around £18,000 is supplied through statutory and special needs funding.

A steam-powered trailer ride around the heavy haulage arena will cost £2 per adult and £1 for children, with all proceeds going to these nominated charities. The trailer rides commence at 10am daily and can be found at the gates by the top and bottom corners of the heavy haulage arena.

The steam fair is a typically British event offering a unique blend of nostalgia and entertainment. The world’s largest heritage and cultural event showcases our national industrial, agricultural and leisure history.

Dates for this year’s show have been changed so as not to clash with school term time and other big events.